| "Here's the latest from N Sync's sophomore release, No Strings Attached which sold, what's this? Over a million copies the first day. Congrats to the boys! Here's Bye Bye Bye on hot hits 101.3." Justin smiled broadly and turned up the volume to ear shattering perportions. Lance sat in the driver's seat and rolled his eyes. "Dude, it's not like you never heard it before! We've only had it recorded for like 7 months." He reached over and turned it down, not off, just down. Never the less, a triumphant grin escaped his lips. Justin laughed, happy to have the public finally hear it, happy that their fans knocked Backstreet Boys and their "we're better than N Sync" attitudes down a notch, happy at all the air play. He pulled his sunglasses from his pocket and put them on, blocking out the bright Florida sun. "Damn it's hot for April," he complained lightly, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow." "You complain too much, did I ever tell you that?" Lance tapped his fingers in rythem with Bye Bye Bye and grinned over at his friend. "Yeah, man, you have!" Justin tossed his head back and laughed. The two singers rode the rest of the way to the N Sync compound in sheer exhileration, thinking ahead to the planning of the NSA world tour. Once at the compound, Joey met them at the door, staring and pointing at his Superman watch. "You're late guys! What took ya?" Lance clapped him on the shoulder. "Traffic dude, it's awful!" Justin bounded through the door, depositing his backpack on the oversized leather sofa in the front room. "Is everyone here?" he asked, heading for the kitchen. Joey and Lance followed him. The compound was a great source of comfort for the five singers. It was where they had retreated when their legal problems arose. They had spent many days and nights there, agonizing and discussing their future. Tears had been shed, and they had bonded in a way they hadn't thought possible. No Strings Attached had been recorded there, mostly self financed. Now it had broken every record set, just the first week, and the guys were overwhelmed and touched by their fans loyalty. "What? No sweet tea? What's up with that?" Justin frowned, his upper body almost completely engulfed by the double sized refrigerator. He finally settled on a Sobe and grabbed an apple for the heck of it. "So, Joey, are JC and Chris here or what?" Joey nodded, tripping over a basketball. He grabbed at it and opened the sliding glass doors which lead out to the compound's pool and basketball court. He hurled it outside as far as he could. "Yeah, they're downstairs. Wait until you hear the news." "Good news or bad?" Lance asked, his green eyes wide with uncertainty. Joey tilted his head and stayed silent, enjoying the tortured silence. "Joey!" Lance cried. "Good news or bad!" Still no response. Lance and Justin exchanged looks and tore off down the stairs, knocking Joey out of the way. "Geesh!" he called after them. "Good! Good!" JC and Chris sat on a futon in front of a wall sized picture window outside the studio which occupied a large section of the bottem floor. They were thorougly engrossed in some papers. Lance pounced on the futon, squeezing himself between them. "Hey what's the news?" He snatched the papers from Chris, knowing full well never to pull something like that with JC. Everyone knew JC's wrath, and no one liked it. Chris, however, was much more easy going, and didn't retaliate. He just pushed Lance to the side and stood up. "JC, you wanna tell them?" he asked. JC opened his mouth, anxious and excited to let them all in on the news. It was not to be, however. Lance jumped to his feet. "Holy...." His eyes grew wide. "All these zeros? We made this much money already?" That piqued Justin's curiosity and he flew over, peering over his friend's shoulder. "Oh my God!" He looked at JC for confirmation. "All that money? It's ours?" JC nodded, a bit disappointed he hadn't been able to tell them, but thrilled all the same. "Yeah, and it's ours guys. Not the record company's, not management, it's all for us." Justin let out an overexcited yelp, jumping on JC's back, toppling him to the carpet. "Get the hell off me!" he grumbled, rolling Justin off him. "I know it's a lot but damn!" He stood up and brushed imaginary dust from his denim shorts and tank top. Joey chuckled. "Told ya it was good news." He strolled over to Justin, who was flat on his back, his hands covering his face, and a huge smile plastered across his face. He was laughing uncontrollably. Joey reached down and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. Lance tossed the papers to the side and clapped his hands together. "I never imagined it would be this sucessful. God is sure looking out for us." Joey plopped back down on the floor and flipped through a comic book. Lance did a double take. "Fatone, what the hell are you reading?" Everyone paused to stare. Joey looked up sheepishly, holding up the comic. Lance ripped it from his hands, laughing. "The Backstreet Boys? Tell me you didn't pay for this!" Joey snatched it back and grinned. "Course not." He scratched his nose and continued to read. "It was at the record company, in the waiting room. I was curious." He ducked as Chris hurled a nerf football at his head in mock disgust. The mood in the room was lighthearted and friendly. Electricity bristled in the air. The five of them knew they had created something amazing with NSA, and felt sheer pride that it had been done within the group, no outside mucky-mucks pulling their strings. "I have a great idea!" Justin yelled, his blue eyes dancing. Chris slapped his hand to his head. "Oh no! Not a Timberlake idea!" He watched carefully for a reaction, thrilled to see Justin didn't disappoint. "What's that supposed to mean?" he pouted. "What's wrong with my ideas?" "Oh, nothing, nothing at all. Except for the one you had for us to go to Epcot with no security. That was a rip roaring good time! Remember that one?" Chris looked around the room as everyone broke into a smiles. Joey laughed out loud remembering being cornered in "Norway" by three dozen screaming teen age girls. JC had been furious, Lance had fearfully signed autographs, Chris had sat against the wall playing his game boy, and Justin had been petrified. It had taken ten large security officers to get the five singers out. They very firmly suggested that N Sync not travel back to the Magic Kingdom without the appropriate bodyguards. Justin smirked, thinking about it. "Well, okay, but," he reminded them, "you were the idiots who came with me." He took a big bite out of his apple and sat on the piano bench, tapping at the keys aimlessly. "Anyway," he continued, "I was thinking we should spend some of that mula." He chomped contendedly on his fruit and waited for responses. Joey rubbed the hair on his chin. "Yeah, we deserve it after all these months. Let's do it." Chris picked up his discman, put the headphones over his ears, and waited for the music to start. When it didn't, he pounded on the small plastic case. "Come on!" he shouted at it. "Play already!" Disgusted, he ripped it off, and promptly tossed it in the trash can. "Okay, I'm in. Put discman on my list." Justin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked over at Lance and JC. "Well?" he questioned. JC shook his head. "I don't know," he hesitated, staring down at the check. "Maybe we should just wait." He was petrified that the rug would be pulled out from under them again and they'd be left with nothing. Sensing his concern, Lance grabbed him around the neck into a headlock. "All right, JC can just window shop then. He can carry all Justin's bags!" Lance pushed JC away. "Hell no! I'm not that strong." He grabbed his baseball cap and tucked the check into the manilla envelope, placing it under his arm. "Okay, let's go!" Chris scurried over. "Why do you get to hold the money?" he complained lightly. "Because," JC replied, flicking Chris' forehead. "I surpassed you in maturity years ago." Joey and Justin exchanged amused looks. Lance checked his pocket for his keys and followed them all out to his SUV. Soon the check was deposited, and each N Syncer was much, much richer. They sat in the bank parking lot and contimplated where to go, what to do. The AC was full blast, starving off the hot afternoon sun. Justin sat in the passenger seat, flipping through the radio stations mercilessly. Joey, Chris and JC shared the back seat, arguing over what to do. "For the millionith time, Chris, we cannot go to the mall, just the five of us. You know that so just drop it!" JC ran his fingers through his dark hair and stared at his friend with exasperation. Chris blew on the window and traced pictures in the fog. "I don't see why not. It's the middle of the day. It's not that crowded. No one will even know we're there." He didn't mean to whine, but he was sick of hiding out. Lance turned his head. "Stop doing that on my windows," he admonished. "I hate that. It makes them dirty." Chris sighed and wiped the window down with a tissue. "So everyone wants to tell me what we can't do. So what can we do?" Silence fell upon them, as each one searched their brains for a solution. They all wished, from time to time, that they didn't have to carry the weight of being famous. They wondered what it would be like to just wander into a mall, as friends, and not be disguised, or have to leave within 10 minutes. But they had chosen their path, and now they needed to just accept it. Justin finally settled on a radio station and settled back. "I know," he suggested. "Why don't we have a big ol party Friday? We can invite everyone we know and then some." Four stares blazed into him. "Say what?" asked a bewildered Joey. "Not at the compund, Justin," Lance warned. "Remember last time? They tore the place up. It took us days...." "I know, I know!" Justin answered, not wanting to be reminded of another one of his horrible ideas. "But guys, we could rent a club this time. A huge private party. Once the tour starts, it's gonna be insane. Let's enjoy it now." He turned sideways in his seat and faced four pairs of eyes staring him down, like he was a lunatic. He slapped his knee and chewed on his lip. "Think about it. Big club, loud music, beer!" He looked slyly at Joey. "Girls....." Justin knew he would need 2 votes in his favor to carry out this idea. N Sync was nothing if not a democracy. He could see Joey's lips curl at the thought. Looking around, he tried to decide whether to work on Chris, Lance, or JC next. Chris was practically engaged, so he left him alone. JC hated parties in general, often choosing to work or sleep. He eyed Lance. "Laaaaance" he cooed. Lance held his hands up and flashed a crooked smile. "Oh no! I'm not your tie breaker." He knew all too well the way Justin's evil little mind worked. "Oh come on. You don't have a girlfriend anymore. There's gonna be some cute girls. Free pass dude." Justin watched his friend carefully. JC leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, feeling crabby. "J, give it up!" he groaned. Joey made a face at him and cleared his throat. "I vote yes!" he offered. Justin held up one finger. Chris weiged his options. If he voted yes, it would mean inviting his woman which would mean having her attached to his ass all evening, and hearing her bitch and moan about how little time he spent with her. He bopped his head to the left, then to the right, letting his thoughts wander back and forth. Finally he sighed. "I vote no." Justin glared at him, and he shrugged, looking away. "JC?" he asked. JC gave him a thumbs down, never even bothering to open his eyes. "Lance?" Lance started the SUV and pulled onto the highway, thinking carefully. He promised himself that he would try to be more outgoing, more in the public's eye this tour. He wanted desperately to experience as much, if not more fun than his friends. Stopping short at a red light, he bit on his thumb. "Lance, in or out?" Justin demanded. "In," can the reply, followed bye JC and Chris' groans, and Joey and Justin's cheers. "That's three for, two against. Now let's get back to the compound and plan!" Justin turned up the music, his mind working overtime. Friday night, the plans were done. Justin had reserved the club, Lance was in charge of food and drinks, and Joey picked out the entertainment. JC and Chris went along reluctently, helping invite friends. They didn't know until the last minute that Lance and Joey had gone out and invited 50 girls off the street. They were each in their own rooms, preparing for the evening. Chris' girlfriend was there, sitting impatiently in the front room. She watched as they came down the stairs, one by one, minus JC. "Worse than a bunch of girls," she snickered. Chris hugged her. "That's my girl," he said sarcastically, "Always quick with a compliment." She shoved him away and stared over at Justin, who was busily primping in the hall mirror. She wrinkled her nose up and shook her head. Chris noticed an obnoxious comment about to fly from her lips, and grabbed her hand, pulling her out the door. "I think we'll just wait out here," he said quickly. Lance pulled at his leather pants. "Joe, are you sure these are appropriate? I mean jeans seem more comfortable." Joey laughed. "You were the one who said you wanted a new image. Those will help." He pressed his lips together and checked his watch again. "Where the hell is JC? We can't be late to our own party." He cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered up the stairs. "JC get a move on! Come on!" "Coming already!" The reply came, followed by a grinning JC. "I hate to say it, but I'm warming up to this idea." He checked his pants for his wallet and hopped down the stairs, smacking the back of Justin's head once he reached the bottem step. "Didn't you do enough of that upstairs?" Justin grimaced and rubbed the back of his head. "Oww man!" He kicked out at JC and Lance lifted his face to the ceiling in amusement. Chris poked his head back in. "Guys, sometime this century! We got the money, Justin looks fine, we're all here, now lets go!" Lance pushed JC and Justin toward the door, and Joey locked up. They rushed over to Lance's SUV and hopped in. Chris climbed in, pulling his girlfriend onto his lap, silencing her with a kiss when she started to complain. Justin immediately cranked up the music, and they set off for the club. Pulling into the parking lot, they noticed a huge group of screaming girls outside. Security buzzed around the building, scrambling to keep some kind of order. The windows to the SUV were tinted, so no one knew it was them. JC looked on in horror. "Joey! Lance! How many girls did you invite?" Lance manuvered his way around the crowd, staring in awe. "Not that many." Joey leaned forward and rubbed his hands together, reveling in the fame. "They talk, girls. They probably told their friends, and so on, and so on." A deep laugh erupted from his throat. Chris' girlfriend glared at him. "Look, anyone Lance and I invited had to bring ID and show it to get in. So we make a run for it. No biggie." JC looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Make a run for it. What do you think this is? You know they outnumber us. You know...." "Shut up!" Justin yelled. "Now we are going in there, having fun, and partying. I am going to drink, and dance and I don't want any of you to ruin it." Very calmly, he picked up his cell phone and dialed. "Yeah, this is Justin Timberlake. Do you think you could send some security to the back entrance. We're here and can't get in the front. We're in a beige SUV. Thank you." He clicked off the phone and pulled down the passenger side mirror, pushing a lopsided curl from his forehead. "Lance, go around back." Lance did as he was told, and spotted the back entrance. There were five huge security guards standing there, waiting. Justin waited for the vehicle to stop, and hopped out. He rushed to the door, searching for signs of fans. Lance followed, Joey next, then JC, and Chris with his girlfriend. They rushed in through the door, and were lead through the kitchen, and out into the club. No one knew what Joey had planned for entertainment. Lance gasped when he saw the sight. Justin ran right into him, staring in wonder. Chris' girlfriend pursed her lips in disgust, while JC covered his mouth with his hand. "Oh my God!" Chris gaped at the sight. Joey did a little dance and moved inside, very pleased with his handiwork. Lance followed Joey, looking around. There were dozens, no hundreds of balloons. On the dance floor, there were two cages set up, each one containing a half naked girl grinding to the loud music. In the back of the club, there were three girls, each performing a different and bizarre act. One was contorting herself into different positions, another was painted silver and eating fire, and the third was doing body peircing. There was a wrestling ring set up in the front of the club, jello filling the mat, and two bikini clad girls wrestling. At least that was what it looked like. And it didn't stop there. JC's forehead wrinkled in thought. "Joey, how the hell much did this cost us?" Joey smiled, not taking his eyes off the cage dancers. "What do you care? We just got paid." |
| ...money, money, money... JUST GOT PAID |